The Relationship of Alana Bloom and Will Graham
by watergirl50610
Summary: Events from the lives of, the now together, Alana and Will, set after Hannibal being arrested for the Chesapeake Ripper murders.
1. After Hannibal's Arrest

Hannibal's arrest on Friday evening hit everyone hard, but the person it affected most was Dr. Alana Bloom.

The woman was in her office when she had received the call from Jack Crawford; "We got the Chesapeake Ripper. Will did, actually. He's- I highly recommend you prepare yourself for this, Bloom..." she heard him pause and take in a long breath, "It's Lecter."

Of course the first thing Alana did was defend her previous mentor, demanding to know everything about how special agent Will Graham could have possibly come to this conclusion.

In the end, though, everything made sense; the Hobbs' cases, the Copycat, Will's arrest, everything. "Will's on his way to you, Alana. You guys need to be together right now," the psychologist didn't protest. She had nothing else to say to Jack and hung up the phone without a farewell.

Will arrived a few hours later to find her office door unlocked, yet he knocked a few times out of courtesy. "Alana...?" the large room was dark and he had a hard time making out the woman sitting at her desk. Stepping closer, he saw that her hands were folded atop the table, her head bowed. "Are you okay?"

To Alana, Will sounded like he was submerged in water, his voice deep and slow. The woman finally raised her head when she saw that he was standing directly in front of her, fingers taping lightly on the wood to get her attention. Her voice was quiet and cracked, and it was clear that she had been crying, "Do I look like I'm okay?" If there had been enough light, Will would have seen her tear-stained face, black streaks from her makeup trailing under her eyes.

Silence for a moment before Will spoke, glancing around into the shadows, "Why are all the lights off?"

"It was still light outside when Jack called."

A worried knot formed in Graham's stomach at her words; Jack had called three hours ago. Reaching back, he pulled up one of the chairs and sat on its edge, reaching his hands out to wrap around Alana's, "It's over now. The Ripper has been caught and we can finally... _move on_."

At Will's touch, Bloom's fingers quickly moved so she was gripping onto his hands, holding him tightly in worry and distress. "It was Hannibal, Will. I can't..." she trailed off, her throat closing as fresh tears formed in her eyes. Will's thumb rubbed comfortingly against her index finger as he waited patiently for her to continue but she didn't and instead changed the focus of conversation, "How are you, Will? He was your psychiatrist."

"I'm..." he didn't know what to call his feelings right now. He was glad that the killer was caught, but of course he was extremely upset to know that it had been someone so close to him. "I think you know how I am, Alana."

That got a small smile out of her; she did know how he was, for she felt the same. Her shiny eyes narrowed slightly when she asked him, "Do you want to go back to my place? I could _really_ use a beer right now."

Will gave her a small nod, "Sure. If that's what you want to do." His strong feelings for Alana started to show now as he continued to hold on to her hand when she stood, receiving a curious expression from her. He rose as she did and stepped to the side of her desk, pulling her into his arms. "It's going to be okay, Alana," at the feeling of her arms wrapping around his back, he lifted a hand and cradled the back of her head, rocking their bodies side to side gently, "I promise."

Alana closed her eyes at the embrace; the gesture was odd for Will, especially after such a dramatic event, but she didn't question it. The hug was what she really needed right now, and it pulled her out of the fog she had been in since that earth-shattering phone call. "Thank you for coming, Will." He gave her a small squeeze before they separated and prepared to leave.

* * *

Will looked around at the layout and decorations of Alana's kitchen as they stepped inside, remembering the previous, and first, time he was here in that orange jumper a year or so ago. Now, thankfully, he had been properly invited and was in his normal attire.

The sound of Alana's voice pulled him out of his memories, asking him a question from the fridge, "Do you want a beer?" She was holding one for herself, hand half reaching for another as she waited for his answer.

"Uh.. do you have anything _stronger_?"

The woman smirked, "Of course." She put her drink back and pulled out a bottle of whiskey before closing the fridge and making her way to the cupboards for two glasses.

A few minutes later they were leaning against the counter island, stripped of their winter coats and shoes, staring down at their drinks. "I don't know what to think of everything," Alana said suddenly, swirling the liquid in her glass.

"Me neither," their voices were quiet in the dim room, the only light coming from over the stove. "Hannibal was... _foolish_ for manipulating me like he did. That's what caused me to figure out it was him."

Alana turned her head to Will, a small smile on her lips, "At least you can start getting your head back on track now; I know what he was doing to you, but.." she glanced back down, "I didn't want to believe it." A few seconds of silence, then, strained, "I still don't."

This was the second time this evening Will had embraced her, and the first time they had really interacted like this since The Kiss. He had thought about that single romantic gesture so many times and even contemplated doing it again now, but he decided against it as she started crying on his chest, her shoulders shaking. Will placed the kiss on the top of her head instead and held her close, holding her as she let out her emotions.

A few minutes later Alana pulled away, sniffling and wiping at her eyes and cheeks, "Sorry, I-"

"You don't need to apologize."

She gave him a small smile and brushed at his shirt lightly, noticing the tear and makeup stains smeared across it, "I'll buy you a new one."

Will shrugged, not really caring about his clothes.

He heard a clock somewhere off in the house chime eleven times, "I should probably go, it's getting late..." Will glanced at her for a second before shifting his gaze to the wall she was in front of, "Not unless you want me to stay..."

"Please," Alana hadn't meant for her voice to come out sounding so desperate and scared. Clearing her throat, she continued in a more steady tone, "If you don't mind."

"You know I'm fine with it.."

She smirked at him before turning away and gulping down what was left of her drink, then pouring herself some more. "Let's go in the living room."

This part of her house Will had never been in before. Its furniture expressed Alana's personality perfectly; feminine with a hint of masculinity she acquired from growing up with many brothers.

Setting his glass down on the end table, Will sat down on her cream-colored, suede sofa and propped his feet up on the ottoman, able to easily relax in her home. Alana sat a friendly distance to his right, legs tucked up underneath her while she cradled her glass in her hands.

"What are you going to do now?" Will didn't need her to elaborate; she was referring to his job at the FBI, working for Jack and helping profile criminals.

Graham made and unsure face and scratched at the stubble on his chin, shrugging slightly, "I don't know... Jack still wants me there, but.. I think I might just stick with teaching for a while, let everything settle."

Alana reached out and patted his knee, "That sounds really good for you, Will. You need a break from all the.. _drama_ Jack brings." She brought her glass to her lips then, taking in half of its contents and swallowing it quickly.

Will was watching her as she did this, noticing how the alcohol was all seeming to go down a bit too easy. He let out a quiet chuckle, "Don't drink too much now, I don't need you getting drunk on me."

"Why?" Alana smiled at him, amused, "Afraid I'll make a fool of myself?" She handed her drink to him so he could place it on the table next to his, "Don't worry; I haven't gotten more than buzzed in years, and I don't plan to anytime soon."

"Good."

Will looked over his shoulder at a small mewing noise, smiling when a gray, short-haired cat jumped up onto the back of the sofa; he scratched its chin, "I didn't know you had any pets."

"Well, ever since I watched your dogs, she's become skittish and tends to hide when people come over." The feline rubbed up against Will's hand and eventually made its way down to the seats, settling between the pair and starting purr contently.

There was a content atmosphere in the room as they pet the cat, neither of them feeling the need to say anything. Eventually, though, Will spoke up, "Can I use your shower?"

"Sure," Alana directed him to the downstairs bathroom, nodding at his thanks.

* * *

"Alana?"

The woman was in her kitchen working on her third glass of whiskey when she heard Will's call; she went into the living room and poked her head down the hallway, not sure if he was decent or not, "Yeah?"

"Do you happen to have pajamas or something I could wear?" Will knew it was a long shot that she would, be he figured he could ask anyway.

"Yeah, my brother leaves a set here for when he visits. Hold on."

She returned a few seconds later with a pair of red checkered bottoms and a t-shirt, "Here."

Will opened the bathroom door and reached out for the clothes, his lower half wrapped in a towel, "Thanks." Without really thinking about it, Alana's eyes fluttered to Will's bare chest and stomach, lingering longer than they should have.

She realized a second later that she was gawking and shook her head, "Sorry," before hurrying back into the kitchen. She downed the rest of what was in her glass and tried to push the thought of half-naked Will away.

The man joined her a few minutes later, hair damp and clinging slightly to his forehead, "Thanks. I feel better now."

Alana looked up at him slowly, knowing full well he could see the redness that still lingered on her face. Nervous panic rose in her as he stepped closer, but she kept her countenance calm. He lifted a hand and brushed it against her cheek, "Are you embarrassed? Or have you been drinking too much?"

Her eyes closed at his touch, a warm feeling rising in her before alarms started going off in the slight haze of her whiskey-fogged head. She lifted a hand and put it on his wrist, lowering it gently, "A little bit of both, probably." Taking a step to the side, Alana started to leave the room, "I'm going to go change, okay?"

Will nodded and she headed upstairs.

* * *

Alana didn't initially think twice of the boxer shorts and tank top that she changed into. When she stepped into the living room to see Will staring at her, "...what?" her hands when to her pulled-up hair, checking to see if there was a loose strand or bump that was making him look at her for so long. She finally realized as he turned away that it was all of the exposed skin that caused him to linger his gaze.

"N-nothing," Will didn't watch as she stepped into the kitchen to grab her drink.

Alana came back and sat on the far end of the couch, much to Will's disappointment, and pulled a blanket over her. He gestured to her glass, "Fourth?"

"Ah, fifth, actually." It was quiet for a few seconds before the woman started giggling.

"Hm?" Will wore an amused smile and readjusted himself so he faced her, legs stretched out on the sofa in front of him, feet slipping under the edge of her blanket. "You better not be drunk, Ms. Bloom."

"I'm soooorry," she drew out the last word and rested her head on the cushion beside her, a silly grin on her face, "I didn't _mean_ to." She moved her feet until she found his and then pushed them underneath so they could share their warmth. "How many have _you_ had?"

"I'm working on my second." The cat joined them then, jumping up and laying across Will's lap.

"She likes you." Alana enjoyed seeing Will around animals. He always seemed so happy and at peace. "You're in a house full of women who want your hands all over them." The seconds between the words leaving her mouth and registering in her head seemed to tick by audibly, three seconds drawn out in the silence as Will looked up at her, eyebrows raised. "I, I didn't mean..." _shut up, Alana, just shut up_. She finished the drink that was in her hand and then set the empty glass on the floor, embarrassment causing the muscles through her body to tense up.

"Maybe we should put the whiskey away for tonight..."

"Yeah, that'd probably be best."

The silence between them now was no longer comfortable. "Do you want to listen to some music?"

"Sure."

Alana stood and made her way over to the small stereo under her TV and turned on the radio. A quiet song with a slow beat filled the room, piano notes echoing off the walls. She turned back to him, "Do you want to dance?"

"Dance?" Will laughed and swung his legs over the edge of the couch but didn't get up, "I'm not a dancer, I'd probably step on your feet."

"So?" Alana came over to him and held out a hand, a wide smile spreading across her face when he took it.

They moved to the center of the room between the couch and the television, their feet quiet against the carpet. Alana rested her hands on Will's shoulders while his went to her waist. He peered down at her with a smile as they slowly started to step in circles, "Honestly, I'm surprised you asked me to stay with you tonight."

"Yeah? And why's that?"

Even if Will wasn't looking, he could have heard the grin in her voice. "After what you told me when you stopped by to... 'shoo away any predators at my door,'... after you said that we weren't.. _compatible_-"

Alana could practically hear the pain in his words despite his light tone, "That was over a year ago, Will." Neither of them realized they had stopped dancing and were now just standing there, staring at each other.

"Do you still have a professional curiosity about me?"

"Of course I do, but ever since you started distancing yourself from Hannibal, you've been getting better. Your mind and your nightmares, hallucinations, all that, they're going away, aren't they?"

"They treated me for encephalitis at Baltimore State. It wasn't all Hannibal-"

"I know, but... he helped. Now that he's gone-"

"I can finish getting better."

Their heads had been growing closer as they spoke, and now Will closed the distance and kissed her softly, Alana standing on her tiptoes to press against him. Their mouths moved just as easily as they had the first time, if not more with Alana slightly drunk.

A few seconds later they pulled away, Alana's hands having slid down to press against his chest. Will spoke first, "I thought you were confused?"

"I'm drunk."

"Then we shouldn't be doing this."

"I know," now it was Alana's turn to kiss him, her hands moving up his neck to his jaw, pulling him down towards her.

He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her lean frame close to him, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together, something that hadn't happened the first time. He felt her hands move further back along his neck, her thumbs now in front of his ears and her fingers in his hair.

The cat slithering between their feet caused them to pull away once more and look down at the creature, smiling. "Thank you, Molly," Alana teased before resting her head on Will's shoulder, hands now laced around his sides.

Neither of them knew how long they were standing there together, listening to the music and the sound of the others breathing. Will's eyes shifted over to the grandfather clock he had heard earlier as it struck midnight, a tired feeling coming over him as the time was made clear, "We should go to bed."

Alana pulled away slightly, hands just barely hooked on his sides, "In separate beds?"

"Yes," he laughed, "in separate beds. I'm not going to do anything like that with you... _like this_."

"Such a gentlemen," her words had come out sarcastically but she really did mean it, glad that he had enough respect for her to not take advantage of her drunkenness.

Grabbing his hand, she led him over to the stairs, "Come on, I'll show you to the guest room."

Will watched the back of her head as they climbed the stairs, enjoying the way her curly ponytail bobbed at every step she took.

Alana led him to a room on the opposite side of the house from hers, standing back in the doorway as he stepped inside. "You have your own bathroom over there," she lifted a hand to a closed door in the corner, "And my brother has some clothes in the dresser if you want them for tomorrow. He's about the same size as you, so..."

Will nodded and turned his head while she indicated things, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

The room was quiet now, both of them unsure of what to do next. It was Alana that broke the silence after pointing her thumb over her shoulder, "I guess I'm going to go to bed now."

"Okay."

"Thanks again, Will. Goodnight."

"Night."

Alana gave him a smile before turning, pausing for second but then thinking otherwise and continuing to her room.

She brushed her teeth then let down her hair and combed it before climbing into bed, a smile on her face the entire time.

Molly joined her just as she was starting to doze off, jumping onto the bed quietly and curling up in the curve Alana's stomach made while she laid on her side. "Goodnight, pretty girl," Alana cooed before drifting off to sleep, head abuzz with alcohol, endorphins, and Will Graham.


	2. Inside Alana Bloom's Head

A painful pounding in her head was what woke Alana up at five the next morning.

"Shit," she groaned as her body curled into a ball, achy and sluggish. Now she remembered why it had been years since she had last gotten drunk.

* * *

At the other end of the house Will woke up with a start, eyes darting around the room frantically as he tried to remember where he was. It took a second for his memories of the previous day to come back to him; he calmed slightly as images of Hannibal wearing handcuffs and getting shoved into a police car flashed in his mind, soon to be replaced by the sight of Alana peering up at him just seconds before they kissed, followed by her bidding him goodnight.

Graham gave a small smile as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and running his hands over his face.

* * *

Back in Alana's room, the woman had finally stretched out in her bed and decided that she should probably get up to get some aspirin from the kitchen. Squinting at the red glow coming from her alarm clock, she let out a displeased noise when she saw how early it was. She stepped into the bathroom and did what she had to before grabbing her robe and starting to make her way downstairs, shivering in the morning coolness of the house.

* * *

Will stood up from his bed and stretched, wincing when one of his shoulders popped. He rubbed it while he shuffled into the bathroom.

A minute or so later he made his way into the hallway, eyes failing to adjust to the darkness in time to see Alana standing there.

She let out a small squeak and gripped at his arms when he ran into her, "Will? What are you doing up?"

"I just.. woke up-"

"Quieter, please,"

"Oh, sorry," he lowered his voice and gave her a grin, even though she couldn't see it, "a little hungover?"

"Shut up," Alana stepped around him and went down the stairs, hand gripping on the railing so she wouldn't fall in the absence of light.

Will was going to follow her but realized he was still in his boxers, having taken the pajama pants off prior to getting into bed the previous night. He quickly went back to his room to grab them before joining Alana downstairs.

After Alana took a few of the pills she started up some coffee, the ache in her head easing slightly at the aroma that filled the room. She turned her head to the door when she heard Will pad in and let out a small laugh, "Nice hair."

"Thanks, yours is just as beautiful." Will was being serious in his reply, loving the way her curls had a messy and tousled look to them. He stepped up to her and kissed her cheek, "Good morning."

She closed her eyes and smiled, "Don't think a drunken kiss means all that much, Will."

"Kiss or no kiss, I still would have done that."

"Fair enough."

A few seconds later the coffee was done; each with a mug in their hands, they sat at the kitchen table and peered out the window, Alana squinting at the bright pink color along the horizon. "I'm going to have to close these blinds once the sun comes up." Will didn't say anything and just smiled into his cup.

Molly joined them then, jumping up onto the window still and lifting her paw to start grooming herself. Alana watched Will as he observed the cat, how he seemed so happy just to sit there and look at the animal as it was partaking in its morning routine.

Will glanced over and caught her grinning. He teased her, "A reason you're staring?"

She shrugged, "Nothing."

"Mhm," he took a sip of his drink. His next question was sudden, "Now that I'm starting become... _normal_ again," normal wasn't the word he had been looking for, but it got his point about his mental health across, "would you consider the possibility of us... dating?"

Alana hadn't been expecting the question and about choked on her coffee, "Will." She looked up to find him staring at her, a mix of sadness and hope written across his features. She knew that he didn't have many friends, especially long-term friends like her, and he had just as few romantic interests. "I've considered that possibility many times but-"

"There's always a 'but', isn't there?"

"Don't be like that, Will. You're different, and you know that. I wouldn't be able to stop myself from... _analyzing_ that difference all the time. You don't want that."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "How do you know what I want, Alana?"

"I-" she stopped herself, a small lump forming in her throat. She liked him, _so_ much, but she didn't want to get involved with him and then start to pick his brain apart; he deserved better than that. Alana took in a deep breath, "I would always feel guilty, like I'd treating you as if you were one of my patients. I can't handle that feeling, Will." Her voice cracked when she spoke his name.

Will wanted to tell her that if she should just try, that if she felt uncomfortable enough she could just tell him and they'd go their separate ways, but he didn't want to be that guy. Instead, he kept quiet and stared down at his drink, trying to ignore the heavy feeling across his chest.

"Fine."

He looked up at her, an eyebrow raised, "Hm?"

It was that tightness of her throat, that all too familiar feeling of loneliness sweeping over her that caused her to change her mind, but Will didn't know that. "Let's date, Will."

"Alana... don't..." he glanced over to the window, finger nails clinking on his mug, "I wasn't trying to _force_ you. If you don't want to, that's fine, I was just-"

"Stop." Her eyes were shiny, tears starting to build in them. There were so many things going on in her head, the walls she had built around harsh emotions crumbling away.

"Alana?"

"I-I'm sorry, I.." her voice was small and fragile, the sensations in her head becoming all too much.

"Hey, it's okay," Will's frustration turned to concern as stood up and knelt beside her, a hand on her back, "it's okay. What's wrong?"

She looked over and down at him, a few tears slipping from the corners of her eyes as she did so. "...I'm scared." This was the most open she had been with anyone since Will's arrest. At work and around co-workers she'd have walls built so thick and high around the craziness in her head that she always came across as confident, strong, and respectable.

Now Will was seeing what was hidden behind that wall, the sadness and loneliness that she only let come out when she was alone, but he still didn't know what was the source of all of it. "What are you scared of?"

She wanted to tell him everything so bad, but she just couldn't. Not right now. Instead, she stood up, Will rising with her, and wrapped her arms around his neck, crying. The past day had caused her emotions to do a complete 180 and she hated it, hated Will seeing her like this.

He scooped her into his arms and held her tight, eyes closed as he buried his head in her hair. Seeing her so upset like this sent a searing pain through him, which only got worse because he didn't know what to do to help her.

* * *

Eventually the two ended up on the couch together, stretched out on the lounge section of it. Morning sunlight streamed through one of the windows, the golden glow settling across Alana's back and head as she laid in Will's arms, asleep.

She had cried herself out, and Will had been holding her the entire time. He didn't know what exactly was wrong, or what they were going to do regarding the whole dating thing, but he didn't care about the later right now; right now he just wanted to make sure she was okay.

He ended up dozing off a few times himself, comfortable on the sofa with her held close to him. They both woke up at around 8, lifting her head to gaze up at Will sleepily, "Hey."

"Hello," lowering his head, he kissed her temple and gave her a squeeze, "Are you feeling better?"

"Much, thank you," Alana rested her head on his chest, one arm draped across his side, the other squished between them. "I'm sorry for earlier."

"It's okay. Do.. do you want to talk about it at all?"

She let out a sigh, "I might as well." A pause as she ran a finger of absentmindedly over his shirt, eyes following the wrinkles that it made. "When I was a Junior in high school I had a boyfriend that was the entire world to me," she laughed and hid her face in his chest, "it sounds so silly now-"

"It's fine."

"Anyway, he broke up with me and I took it really hard. My oldest brother had just left for the Army and I was scared for him, so when the guy left me I fell into depression."

Will watched as her eyes become distant and her fingers stilled against his chest, "My mom took me to ER because she walked in on me holding a gun to my head."

"Alana..." Will felt a heavy rock in his stomach as a few things clicked in his head. Her story explained why she detested guns with a passion, and it put meaning behind a phrase Jack had told him one time, 'Suicide is Dr. Bloom's mortal enemy.'

"They put me on antidepressants and sent me to a therapist. I've never really had a long term relationship since, just lots of flings a bit of sex, especially in college," she looked back up at him then, eyes clear, "and that's why I broke down. Why I'm scared."

Will's gaze flickered back and forth between her eyes, a deeply sad expression on his face, "I'm so sorry..."

Alana gave him a smile and ran her hand up and down his side, "I'm okay now. Usually."

The hug he gave her practically smothered her, fright running through him at the thought of losing her, even though the threat barely existed anymore. She had to push on his chest so she could pull back and breathe, laughing lightly, "Are _you_ going to be okay?"

He moved his hands so they were on either side of her face, thumbs brushing at her cheek bones, "Don't ever do that again."

"I don't plan o-"

"Alana," Will's voice was serious, his stare strong.

"Okay, I won't."

He kissed her then, a scared, wanting, desperate kiss. Alana closed her eyes and moved both her hands up to grip at his wrists, but she didn't pull him away. They separated a few seconds later and laid there until the clock rang out at 9am.

"I should probably go back home, even though I don't want to. I need to let the dogs out and feed them, feed _me_, work on my lesson for Monday..."

Alana nodded, understanding, "That's fine. Thank you for staying with me, Will. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," they stood up together, Alana going off into the kitchen as Will jogged up the stairs to get dressed.

* * *

Alana was standing with a fresh cup of coffee when he joined her. She had just taken some more aspirin to dull the returning headache.

He went over to the door and pulled his shoes on, grabbing his coat off the rack and putting that on as well. Alana came over and opened the inside door, leaning against it as he checked to make sure he had everything.

"I guess I'll see you on Monday," he said once he was ready, "you'll be at the Academy, right?"

"Yeah, I have a class on Monday and Wednesday, and I see patients the rest of the days."

He nodded, unsure of what to say now, not being very fond of goodbyes.

Alana took a step to him and gave him a quick kiss, causing him to blush, "B-bye, Alana. Thanks."

She nodded once, smiling as he pushed open the screen door and stepped outside, Alana holding it open behind him so she could watch him make his way to his car.

Will turned back around to face her halfway to the station wagon, "Alana?"

"Yeah?"

"Are... are we dating?"

"Do you want to?"

"Well, yeah... you know-"

"Then yes."

A wide smile broke his face, matching the one that she wore, "O-okay... Cool."

"Bye, Will."

He lifted a nervous hand in farewell and climbed into his car, pulling out of her driveway happier than he had been in years.


	3. Lecture in Chicago pt 1

It was Wednesday afternoon and Will and Alana were sitting in Alana's office, going over the files for one of their most recent cases. The two hadn't seen each other since Saturday morning, both being equally busy with their jobs, so they weren't actually focusing on the paper work too much.

The shrill ring of Will's cell phone interrupted Alana's giggles, pulling them out of a distracted fog they had accidentally slipped into. Will let out a sigh as he read the caller ID, "It's Jack."

"Of course it is..."

Will gave a nod at her comment before answering, "Hello?"

"Hey Will; question for you: would you be willing to travel to give a lecture? I was thinking Dr. Bloom could accompany you."

"I wouldn't mind – do you want me to put you on speaker? I'm with Alana."

"Oh, sure."

Will set the phone down on the table and pressed a button, "Okay." He stood as his boss made the same offer to the woman, stepping forward to look out the window. "What subject?" the two asked at the same time.

"Um, Dr. Lecter–"

"Jack," Will turned and snapped up the phone, switching it back to normal, "I'm fine with it, but you _know_ what he was to her. It's only been five days, can't this wait?"

He hadn't noticed Alana's reaction to his protection of her, her raised eyebrows and surprised expression; she was now standing behind him and snatched the phone from his hands, "Jack, I can do it."

Will didn't argue with her, letting her have the phone. He went over and sat at the chair to her desk, resting his elbows on the wooden surface and running his hands over his face while he waited for them to finish talking.

Coming over to pick up a piece of paper, Alana scribbled down some info that Jack was relaying to her. Will's eyes drifted over her body as she stood straight and placed a hand on her hip, listening to the man on the phone. He noticed her blush a bit before she replied, "Uh, no, one room is fine." Alana gave Will a small smile as she wrapped up the phone call.

Handing him back his phone, Alana then rested her palms atop her desk, fingers hooked around its edge, "We fly out Thursday, hotel is the Hampton Majestic. Flight back is on Sunday. Lecture is Saturday, noon, at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis on Michigan Avenue."

Will nodded as she gave him the details. Now the room was quiet, and he knew exactly what she was going to say next.

"I appreciate your concern for my ability to give this lecture, Will, but I would appreciate it even _more_ if you would allow _me_ be the final judge of it."

"I- I'm sorry. Won't happen again."

"Thank you," Alana stepped around the edge of the desk and up to him, leaning down to kiss him lightly. She pulled away and tucked some hair behind his ear, "We're going to enjoy this weekend, okay? The time away will be good for both of us."

He lifted his hands and settled them on her hips, smiling up at her curl-framed face, "Yeah, it will be."

* * *

7:20 pm, their plane had just gotten in the air. Alana was sitting in the window seat, staring out at the ground below; she loved the view from above, how everything seemed to merge into one, only the farmland and bodies of water sticking out.

Will sat next to her, head back with a killer headache. He, personally, hated flying. There were always rowdy or whiny children, and the food wasn't that great. Thankfully they wouldn't be in the air for long.

Alana turned to Will and gave his hand a squeeze, "Did you take some aspirin?"

"Yeah, when I was in the bathroom before we left."

"Alright, it should go away soon then," she moved her other hand over and enveloped his, trying to give him some comfort, as she knew how bad his headaches could get. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? That might help." He shrugged. "Well, I am."

Alana tucked one of her legs underneath of her and leaned against Will's arm, resting her head on his shoulder. A few readjustments later she was comfortable, Will tilting his head to rest atop hers; they were asleep in five minutes.

* * *

The couple was sitting in their hotel room, having unpacked everything and took separate showers, Will reading Hannibal's case file while Alana checked her email.

The former set down the thick manila folder and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "Let's go on a date."

"...right now?" Alana was unprepared for his offer, her hair still stringy and wet from the shower, pajamas clinging to her damp skin.

"Yeah," he stood and looked out the window, staring down at the buildings below, "There's a steakhouse right across the street." He looked over his shoulder to find a smirk on her face.

"Alright, let me get dressed."

Alana was ready in about ten minutes. She was wearing a deep purple-colored dress, her golden starfish necklace resting on her chest. Her hair had dried into large curls with the help of a blow drier, and there was fresh makeup on her face.

Will was wearing a pair of jeans, like usual, and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black tie. Alana ran a hand over his stubble and teased him, "Do you ever go clean shaven?" He was whisker-free a couple of minutes later.

Just before they stepped out of their room, he grabbed Alana's arm and pulled her close, taking his free hand and cupping behind her head, "You look beautiful."

She smiled, eyes beaming up at him, "Thank you." For the third time in the past three minutes, she ran her hand over his smooth cheeks, "You look so different. I like it." Will let out a chuckle and gave her a kiss before they finally left their room.

* * *

Alana and Will were nearing the end of their meal, both filled with wine and steak, when Will asked, "What were your first impressions of me when we met... two years ago? Three?"

A clink mingled with the other noises of the restaurant when Alana lowered her fork to her plate, "Almost three years. We met in Jack's office when he brought me in for the Lantern Burning case."

Will let out a displeased noise, "I think that was one of the most tedious things I have ever done, there were _so many_ fortune cookies."

"Yeah," Alana laughed, remembering the look on his face when they had come across boxes and boxes of the cookies, every single one needing to be searched through. "Well, my first impression was 'mountain man', I guess."

"_Mountain man?_" Will had a wide a curious smile on his face, napkin now in his lap as he paused from his meal to listen to her story.

"You looked... _scruffy_! And you were wearing plaid, like you always do. Would you rather I call you a lumberjack?"

"Just.. continue, please," he chuckled, knowing how true her statement was.

"_Anyway_, I thought you were cute, but..." her eyes lowered as she thought, "Hannibal and I were talking, and I didn't want things to get difficult." Her voice was quieter at the end.

Will felt bad now; he reached a hand across the table to grab Alana's, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." They looked over at a burst of laughter from a group of people at the bar. "Do you want to hear what I thought of you?"

A smile broke the slight gloom on her face, "Sure."

"You were standing in front of the window in Jack's office, sun shining behind you. Do you remember how bad my stuttering was that day?" She nodded, "It's sounds... _cliché_, but.. you were so beautiful that I couldn't even speak to you properly. It's been three years and I _still_ have a hard time."

Alana blushed and looked down at her lap, a warm, fluttering feeling in her stomach. She glanced back up when he continued, "And when I kissed you in my living room, I had been waiting to do that since that very day in Jack's office."

Alana's eyebrows drew together slightly in awe at his words, mouth opening a sliver, "You waited two years to do that?"

"Yeah," Will leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his jaw, embarrassed.

Now it was Alana's turn to reach out a hand, "You shouldn't have waited, Will." He shrugged, knowing there wasn't anything he could do about it now.

A waitress came to their table then to refill their glasses and order their dessert. When she left, the two decided to continue their earlier discussion about the lecture on Saturday and their plans for the rest of their free time, both of them a little more happier and joyous than before.

* * *

It was late when the two were done with dinner. The sky was dark when they stepped outside, Alana huddling close to Will in the cool, Chicago air. They began to walk south down the sidewalk along Michigan, glancing around at all the buildings and shops.

Will glanced down at his watch just as it ticked to 11 pm, a wave of sleepiness coming over him, "We should go back to the hotel."

To reenforce his words, Alana yawned before replying, "Okay. We can walk around tomorrow and Saturday night, maybe see a play or concert or something."

"Sounds good," they turned around and headed back to the Hampton, bright, city lights shining off their tired and hazy eyes.

* * *

"_Will!_" Alana laughed when he invaded their hotel bathroom later that night. They had been back for ten minutes now, and Alana had just excused herself to change into her pajamas. He stepped in when she was only in her bra and underwear, Alana instinctively reaching her arms up to cover her chest as he came up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips brushed the crook of her bare neck and he loosened his arms so she could turn around, a smirk pulling on her lips, "I thought you were tired?"

Will gave a shrug and made a noise of indifference before leaning down to kiss her, pressing a little harder and moving a little more eagerly than he ever had before, hoping that she got the hint that he wanted more.

Alana kissed back just as enthusiastically, standing up on her tip toes to do so. A moment later she pushed against his chest, separating them, "It's your call, Will."

He pressed his forehead to hers, voice smooth and lustful as he spoke with confidence, "You know what my call is, Alana."

No words passed between them as the woman grabbed his hand and led him from the bathroom, Will's eyes trailing down the pale, bare skin of her back to take in her lace-covered bottom on their way, the black fabric showing her off perfectly.

Alana stopped at the foot of the bed, turning to Will with a mischievous look, "Were you expecting this?" She started to undo his tie, fingers working quickly at the knot.

"No, but I think you were," Will's gaze shifted down to indicate her fancier underwear before coming back up to see her smirking and averting her gaze, staring intently at his shirt. He placed a finger gently under her chin to raise her head, their eyes locking together, "You are so beautiful."

Alana wasn't even able to reply to his compliment, voice blocked by the presence of his lips on hers once more. He bit lightly and pushed her back onto the bed, one hand behind her back so she didn't fall.

They slid up to the top of the bed, Alana now throwing Will's tie to the chair in the corner as he kissed her jaw, starting to trail his lips down her neck. She had her fingers in his hair, unable to work at his shirt now that his head had moved lower, mouth kissing the tops of her breasts. His hands were on her sides, trailing up her ribs lightly and giving her goosebumps, tickling enough to make her giggle.

They sat up now so Will could undo her bra, nervous hands gently sliding the straps off her shoulders before tossing it to the side. He tucked his head down to envelop his mouth around one of her nipples, a hand softly working with the other one. Alana let out a small breath, closing her eyes for a second at the sensation she hadn't felt in so long. She could feel the pent-up tension from the years of sexual inactivity leaving her body, allowing her to relax easily and melt into the moment.

Moving her hands to his neck, she guided Will's lips back to hers and resumed working on his shirt, finally getting all the buttons undone and peeling it off of him, the white t-shirt he had on under that disappearing as well.

"Lean back," Will whispered, his lips moving lower on her body, sucking lightly at her skin and leaving little red marks. When her head was resting against the wall, he had made his way to her stomach, thumbs hooking under the seam of her panties to tug at them. His lips followed the fabric as it lowered, a heat starting to pool in Alana just at the thought of what he was about to do.

She let out a moan when Will kissed her clit, jolts of pleasure shifting through her body. Another came when he slipped his tongue into her, causing the woman to rest her head back against wall, open mouth pointed at the ceiling with her eyes closed.

Will could feel her fingers in his hair and her thighs on either side of his head, both parts of her body pushing on him so he went deeper inside of her. Not wanting her to be done too quickly though, he pulled away and grinned at the noise of disappointment that she made. He looked up to see that her eyes were clouded with lust, just as his were starting to do.

Almost as if something had awoken in her, Alana sat up and got to her knees, pulling Will to her with a kiss and somehow managing to switch their positions around so she was the one leaning over him. Her hands ran down his chest and to his jeans, fingers working to unclasp his belt and slide off his pants.

She moved to straddle him then, legs on either side of his hips as she rolled atop him once, smiling at the groan he let out. She could feel him hard through the soft cotton of his boxer shorts, which only fueled her desire for him, causing her to remove his underwear hurriedly, dropping them to the floor.

"W-wait," Will's voice was rough, every nerve in his body not wanting him to stop. "My, my suitcase. Front pocket." Alana was confused at first, but then quickly understood. She climbed off of him and returned a second later, handing the condom to him so he could put it on. "O-okay."

Getting back on his lap, Alana leaned forward and placed her hands on his jaw while she kissed him with passion, their lips moving together perfectly. She could feel his hand brush against her thigh as he made his way to between her legs, lining himself at her entrance.

A single nod from him was all she needed, and Alana lowered herself slowly on to him, nails digging into Will's neck as her mouth opened to let out a moan. Will bit at his lip and lifted his hips into her, nerves sparking at the feeling he hadn't felt since high school; this woman was completely different than the girl from back then, though. This one actually meant _everything_ to him and wasn't an alcohol-induced mistake made from a lonely call in the middle of the night.

His breath hitched in his throat as Alana rolled on top of him, his hands gripping at her sides to aide her movements as they increased in pace. She sat up and placed her fingertips on his stomach, little noises coming from her mouth as she moved at a slower pace, wanting the act to last as long as possible.

Will opened his eyes took in the way her face looked in the dim light of their room, the way she had her head back, her curls bouncing on her shoulders in unison with her breasts as her pace started increasing. He reached a hand up to cup Alana's face when she angled it back down to him, thumb brushing along her cheek. She smiled at him but didn't open her eyes. Trailing his hand down her chest, he paused to finger the necklace around her neck, a gold starfish; somehow it fit her and who she was as a person, but he'd think about that more later as pleasure started to take control of his head.

Alana leaned forward and kissed him again, but Will sat them both up so she could wrap her legs around his waist, his arms snaking around her back to hold her upright. She tucked her head next to him, her breath panting in his ear. "A-Alana, I'm.. _god_," he buried his nose in her hair and tightened his arms around her, his body getting closer and closer to the edge.

He could feel Alana's nails digging into his skin. Quickly she moved and placed her hands on his cheeks, eyes wide open and staring at him as she let out a loud moan and came. The way they had made eye contact right at her peak sent him over the edge, "_F-fuck,_" Will unable to control his tongue as an orgasm shot pleasure through his veins. They pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed once more, both of their bodies shaking with ecstasy.

The two eventually collapsed back on to the bed, Alana rolling off of him and curling into his side, a wide smile on her face. After he disposed of the condom, Will turned to face her, arms wrapping around her sides. He kissed her lightly, neither of them able to go long without taking in a breath. "That.. was... amazing," Will panted, his body still shaking.

"I'm glad.. you enjoyed it Will..." she pressed up against his chest, head resting on the pillows. He kissed her temple and ran his fingers along her sweat-covered spine and her slightly damp hair, both of them closing their eyes as they laid in each others arms. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but it was long enough for both of them to return to normal breathing.

Thoughts were swimming through his head, feelings towards the woman before him demanding their presence be known. He spoke softly, nervous about what he wanted to say, "Alana?"

She was quiet. Looking down, he realized that she had already fallen asleep, chest rising and falling lightly. "I love you," his whispered while closing his own eyes, feelings from making love to Alana Bloom the last things on his mind before he gave in to his exhaustion.


	4. Lecture in Chicago pt 2

Will woke up sometime in the middle of the night to his bladder screaming for release. Swinging his legs off the edge of the mattress, he leaned forward and felt around the floor in the dark for his underwear, finally finding them halfway under the bed. He stood as carefully as possible, not wanting to move too much and wake up the still-sleeping Alana.

After his shorts were on, he looked back at her and smiled; she was curled up into herself, nude body seeming to glow in the otherwise dark room. She had rolled over at one point and was now facing away from him, her dark hair sprawled across the pillow behind her.

When he was done in the bathroom and walking past the foot of the bed, he heard a small noise call out to him, "Will?" Alana was peeking at him with one eye, but he couldn't see that and simply thought the woman was talking in her sleep. She didn't get his full attention until she asked again, "Will, why are you up?" Any other time she would have just gone back to sleep, but in light of recent events, the chance of him having a nightmare crossed her mind.

"I had to use the bathroom. Go back to sleep, Alana."

With a sigh of relief she drew her arms in close, her small frame shaking slightly, "I'm cold." The two had fallen asleep on top of the covers and now the coolness of the room was getting to the both of them, Will feeling goosebumps forming on his bare thighs. He grabbed the blanket off end of the bed and reached up to drape it over Alana, who smiled, "Thank you."

"Mhm," he gave her a small kiss on her temple before stepping over to the dresser and pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms for himself, grabbing a t-shirt as well.

The slap of Will's feet across the linoleum floor of the micro-kitchen was the only sound in the small hotel room, besides the soft sound of late-night traffic outside. He opened the mini-fridge and bent down to try and read the labels without turning on a light, but had no such luck. Grabbing a bottle at random, he cracked it open and took a large sip, which was a bad thing to have done; almost instantly he started coughing, an extra-strong vodka stinging the back of his throat. He saw Alana stir and pull the blanket closer around her out of the corner of his watery eyes.

Mumbling a few curse words under his breath, he shoved the bottle back in the fridge and opted for a glass of water instead before heading outside to their patio. The cold air woke him fully up and cleared his mind, allowing the events of earlier in the night to come drifting back to him. He smiled down at the bright, city lights as Alana's joyous smile shone in his head, the soft feel of her smooth skin ghosting across the tips of his fingers.

He remembered what he had told her prior to realizing that she was already asleep, grateful that she wasn't awake to have heard it; it was far too early in their relationship to being getting serious so soon, and Will decided right then not to be the one to say 'I love you' first, giving her the power to control the pace of the relationship after what had happened to her earlier in her life. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible now, and he didn't want to screw anything up by saying something she wasn't prepared for.

The man stayed outside until he could start to see pink forming along the horizon and hear the growing sounds of the city as it started to wake, only then deciding to go back in and begin his day.

* * *

Alana and Will had just stepped out of A'Gaci, a clothing store for women that was just around the corner from their hotel, which they were now headed back to with arms full of bulging bags. "Anywhere you want to go?" Alana felt bad for dragging Will around with her as she shopped, but he seemed to enjoy watching her try on various dresses and shoes, a smile on his face every time she asked if what she had on looked okay; he always said yes, of course, that anything looked good on her.

They had left their room at ten that morning and walked about three blocks east to Millennium Park, lounging around the green and observing the sights, huddled together on bench while trying to shield each other from the nippy wind before deciding to go over a restaurant called the Gage for a filling lunch with tasty beer, much to Alana's delight.

Both of them had the next day's lecture on their mind now as they made their way back to their hotel, one worrying about the other and how they would be able to handle talking about Hannibal and what he had done so soon after it had been discovered. Will voiced his concern once they were in the privacy of their room, "Are you sure you're going to be able to do it tomorrow?"

"Will," the woman came over and placed her still chilly hands on his prickly cheeks, "I'll be fine. I'd be more concerned about yourself, if I were you."

He wrapped his arms around Alana's waist and pulled her to him, smiling softly, "We both need to stop worrying, don't we?"

"Yes, we do. But let's take a nap first, I'm sleepy."

"Alright." Soon they were laying on top of the bed, fully clothed, Will's chest pressed up against Alana's back as he draped a hand over her side and rubbed his fingers across her stomach lightly. "Alana?"

"Hm?"

Will was quiet for a moment, deciding not to ask if she had heard him last night, figuring she would be the type of person to say something if she had. Instead, he lowered his head down slightly and kissed the back of her neck, "We're going to be okay."

The two fell asleep not much later.

* * *

It was about half way though Alana's part of the lecture when she froze up, standing as still as a statue in the front of the lecture hall. Will was sitting in the back of the room going over his notes when her longer-than-usual pause caused him to glance up at her, taking in her wide pupils and distant gaze.

He waited a few seconds to see if she would snap out of it, but she never did. Murmurs from the attendees reached Will's ears as he jogged down the stairs to the front, stepping into Alana's field of vision and placing a hand gently on her shoulder, "Hey, what's wrong?"

A blink of her eyes and they were focused on his, fright clearly written across her face. "I can't do this." Will's stomach dropped; he had never heard her sound so fragile and distraught.

With a rub of her arm, he gave her a reassuring smile, "It's okay. I have it from here, alright? Go back to the hotel and I'll meet you there when I'm done." He gave her a quick kiss to the forehead before turning to address the audience as she quickly gathered her things and left the room. "My colleague, Dr. Bloom, has to take an unexpected leave; I'll be finishing up for her, in addition to what I had planned to discuss with you all today..."

* * *

"Alana?" Their room was dark as he stepped in not long after 3pm, blinds on the windows and sliding glass door pulled shut. There were no lamps or other sources of light on, save for the green glow of the alarm clock on the night stand. This wasn't good.

Setting his things down and taking off his coat, Will called out again, "Alana? I'm back." The lack of response he received caused him to question whether or not she was even there. Squinting in the light of the standing lamp as he turned it on, Will fluttered his eyes around the room and finally found Alana laying on her side atop the bed, arms wrapped tightly around her stomach with her legs pulled up.

Only once Will made eye contact with her did she speak, "I could have helped him, Will."

"Alana..." he strode over and sat on the bed beside her, reaching out a hand to stroke her hair, "_no one_ could have helped him. What he... _did_.. isn't something that can be cured or.. or fixed with prescriptions or.. rehab.. or even at all, really.."

Her voice was horse from sobbing, "If I would have just _noticed_, or-"

"Alana, if you would have found out, he probably would have _killed_ you," Will heard her gulp with a nervous intake of air and saw a tear slip from her eye; he moved his hand to wipe it away. "That's what Jack thinks happened to Miriam Lass; somehow she discovered what Hannibal was and... he made sure no one else did."

The woman broke out into a fresh round of sobs then, Will adjusting himself so he could pull her close, his arms wrapping around her back so he could rub it lightly. A sadness grew in him as well, causing him to close his eyes as the thought of what Hannibal had done for all those years swam through his mind.

Thankfully after Will had been arrested and treated at Baltimore State, he could much more easily control his empathetic mind, allowing himself to grow distant from Hannibal's own head. Still, there were questions that brewed in him that he would like to ask the doctor some day, such as what had caused him to turn to cannibalism, along with a few other ponderings about why Hannibal manipulated him the way he did. They would all have to wait, though, since Will's former psychiatrist still had to go to trial, another event he and Alana would have to fight through. Will felt his stomach knot at the thought of having to see the man again.

* * *

The couple had been too emotionally drained to do anything during the rest of their time in Chicago, only leaving their room Sunday morning to have a quick workout in the hotel's gym before they left for their flight home at 11.

It seemed like they had only been in the air for about an hour the plane landed with a thump onto the runway at the Thurgood Marshall International Airport between D.C. and Baltimore a little after 1pm. Beverly was there to pick them up and drive them back to her place so Will could get his strays and Alana her car. "The dogs have missed you guys," she told them as they climbed in, her smile a warm welcome for them both, "Winston sat at the door whining this morning as I got ready like he knew you were coming home or something. Smart dog."

Will gave her a small grin before settling into the back seat, staring out the tinted windows as Alana told her friend about their trip, promising to show her some of the things she had bought once they got to her house.

* * *

It felt nice to be home again, especially with Alana deciding to stay with him for another night before heading home. They were in his room, the woman sitting on the floor with the dogs as Will unpacked, tossing most of his clothes in the hamper to be washed later.

"I'm glad we did this, Will," Alana spoke at one point.

"Yeah?" he put his last clean shirt away before joining her. "I am too. It... softened things, I guess."

She gave a nod, sliding herself across the hardwood so she could rest up against him as he leaned back onto the bed. They sat there for a while, watching the dogs as they happily played with each other, glad to be back home with Will.

Alana wanted to tell him thank you for everything this past weekend but before she could open her mouth to speak, he silenced her thoughts by kissing her softly, almost as if he knew what she was going to say. All her troubles and worries left her at the embrace, allowing her to relax more than she had in years.

She realized when Will's hand moved to her side to pull her onto his lap, her body seeming to fit so easily into all the curves of his, that this relationship was going to be very different than all over her previous ones, something about Will stirring things in her that she had never felt with anyone else before. The idea of love brushed lightly against her mind as a spark ignited between them, but she didn't have time to explore it. The blaze quickly grew into a raging fury of romance and passion, the two losing themselves inside a calming home that slightly resembled a boat at sea on the fields of Wolf Trap, Virginia.


	5. Graham's Chicken Noodle Soup

It was just a week after they got back from Chicago when Alana woke up with a sore throat and the sniffles, her skin clammy. She had been sneezing a lot the previous day but had thought nothing of it, figuring it was just allergies. Now she wished she would have taken some type of medicine the night before.

The woman was alone in her large house, Will having stayed overnight at his place with the dogs for once. Alana wished she could be with him right now so she could just curl up in his arms and miraculously get better, but unfortunately that wasn't an option.

Slowly climbing out of bed, Alana grabbed her robe off of the back of the door and shuffled downstairs into the kitchen, fumbling around the counter top as she made herself a cup of tea. Once her beverage was ready, she went into the living room and curled up into a chair, relaxing a bit before she got ready for work.

* * *

It took her longer than normal to shower, change her clothes, and drive to her office, arriving 15 minutes late for her first appointment. She hastily grabbed her bag out of the passenger seat and rushed inside, almost running into Mrs. Gonzalez as the woman was leaving the mutually-shared waiting room of Alana and the doctor next door.

The psychologist let out a surprised, "Oh!" and proceeded to drop her things onto the floor, bag popping open and paper sprawling everywhere.

The women knelt to help pick up Dr. Bloom's things, speaking as she did, "I didn't think you were going to show, doctor. Is everything alright?"

"Just, uh, running a little behind, that's all,"Alana gave her a weak smile, knowing that the woman could hear by the sound over her voice that she was sick.

"I can reschedule if you're not feeling well..."

"No! No, it's fin-" Mrs. Gonzalez flinched at Alana's loud sneeze, clutching onto the papers in her arms, as the other woman slowly looked up at her, "Okay, maybe I should take a day or two off.."

* * *

Alana had stopped by the Academy to see Will on her way home, waiting until he was done with class before stepping into his lecture hall, "Hey."

The man was leaned over his desk, putting papers into his bag when he heard is girlfriend's voice, looking up in surprise and taking in her disheveled appearance. He set down his things and walked around his desk, reaching out to grab her hands, "Hey... is everything alright?"

She gave him a small smile, "I'm sick. I tried going in to work today, but.. I feel like crap. I'm heading home, thought I'd stop by to tell you."

Will nodded, eyebrows raised slightly in concern. He lifted a hand to place it lightly on her cheek, running his thumb under her pale skin, "Do you want me to come over when I'm done? Keep you company?"

"You don't have to, Will, I don't want you to get si-"

"Alana," Graham watched as she closed her eyes and tilted her head into his hand. "Let me make you feel better."

The woman's smile appeared again and she gave a nod, "Okay." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before she left, "I'll see you tonight, Will. Thank you for doing this."

"It's no problem. I wanted to see you again, anyway," the two hadn't seen each other since the morning after they got back from Chicago, both staying very busy catching up on the work they missed during their time off, only managing to squeeze in phone calls.

Will gave her a wave as she left the room before returning to gathering up the rest of his things to go and see Jack.

* * *

Alana was curled up on the couch when Will arrived. She had heard the doorbell but didn't feel like getting up, making him use his key. The medicine she took hadn't worked that well; her throat wasn't as sore but she still couldn't breathe through her nose or take in a big breath without coughing.

Will stepped in the backdoor located in the kitchen and took off his outerwear before venturing from the room to try and find Alana. He didn't have to go very far, spotting her blanketed figure bundled up on the couch, "Hey."

"Hi," Will pressed his lips together, trying not to smile at the odd sound of her voice. He stepped around to the front of the couch and pulled the ottoman in front of the woman, sitting on its edge so he could talk to her face-to-face. "How was work?"

"Fine, I guess... Jack let me leave early to come here. I stopped at home and got some stuff for tonight and tomorrow; I took the day off."

"Will..." Alana had to pause, a coughing fit interrupting her protest. She felt Will's hand pat her back lightly before she continued, eyes closed as she tried to calm her lungs, "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," he brushed off the hair clinging to her sweaty forehead, cringing slightly at the heat she emitted, "You shouldn't have to be home alone while you're like this."

The woman gave him a smile as a thank you, pulling the blanket tighter around her as she did so. Will stood and grabbed her empty mug of tea from the end table and went to refill it.

Molly was in the kitchen sniffing Will's coat as he stepped in. She jumped up onto the island counter to watch him as he began boiling some water. "I don't think you're supposed to be up here," Will teased the feline, scratching under her chin before setting her back down on the floor. She strode over to her food bowl and stared at it, mewing a few times in request for her meal. Will poked his head back into the living room, "Where's Molly's food?"

"Top shelf, first cupboard."

"Thanks."

Once Molly was fed and Alana's tea was ready, Will returned to the living room, "Here."

"Just set it on the table."

Will did as she asked, taking a sip of his own cup before placing it next to hers. "Is there anything you want me to do? Anything around the house that needs to be done?" He stood in front of her, hands on his hips, waiting for an answer.

"Not that I can think of at the moment."

He nodded before remembering something he had bought her, "Oh!" Alana peeked open an eye as he rushed out of the room, the faint sound of a rustling plastic bag reaching her ears. He returned a second later, a small box in his hand. "I got you some cough drop things," he sat down on the ottoman again and ripped open the cardboard, reading the instructions on the side of the bottle. "If you want one, you can either suck on it or I can put it in your tea."

"The tea is fine, thank you," Alana sat up a bit then, reaching over the arm of the couch to grab her drink. Will reached out and plopped one of the drops in it, Alana circling the cup around to stir it. She took a cautious sip, almost choking at the horrible taste, "Oh god, that's awful."

"Should make you feel better though, clear up your sinuses."

"Thank you, doctor Graham," they both smiled at her teasing words, Will finally joining her on the couch now that there was room, his arm wrapping around her shoulder to pull her close despite her resistance. "I don't want to get you sick, too, Will."

"Ah, don't worry about me. I've been through worse," he kissed her temple, hoping that she understood that he meant he would have rather had a cold than the encephalitis. "Have you had anything for dinner?"

"No, I'm not really hungry. I lose my appetite when I'm sick."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Mmm... last night?"

Will let out a surprised laugh before scolding her, "You need to eat, that's probably why you feel so miserable." He felt her shrug. "Let me make you some soup."

"You don't have to do that-"

"You need something, Alana. And so do I."

"...fine."

* * *

Will was about half-way through making the meal when he realized he had no idea what he was doing. Alana wasn't one to buy pre-made dinners so he would have to do it all by hand, and for someone that didn't cook, it was not a very easy thing to do.

He had a pot of simmering broth on the stove, an array of vegetables thrown into it. The chicken on the cutting board but he wasn't cutting it, but merely staring at it. _If I put it in the soup, then... no, I have to cook it first.. right?_

Pulling out a frying pan, he poured some oil onto it before placing in the chicken, hoping that this was what he was supposed to do. Eventually the chicken was cooked, and that's when he started to cut it up and put it in the broth. He heard Alana try to shout at him from the living room, "Everything alright out there?"

"Yeah, almost done," he grabbed their bowls and spoons before getting out some bread for them to dip, finally observing his work proudly as he allowed the soup to simmer for a few more minutes.

Soon enough he was back in the living room, leaning down carefully to hand Alana her bowl. "Uh, Will?"

_Uh-oh_. Glancing into his own bowl and then to the bread on the plate atop the ottoman, he tried to find something he messed up on, but couldn't. "What?"

"Are there supposed to be noodles in this?" All Alana could see in her soup was broth, chicken, and vegetables; most chicken noodle soups included noodles, as the name implied, but maybe Will was skipping over that part.

She glanced up at him with a wondering gaze, watching the change of expressions on his face as he realized his mistake, "Dammit," Alana gave him a sympathetic smile, "I.. I'll go make some noodles. I forgot completely about them.." he reached out a hand for her bowl.

"Oh, no, it's fine, I was just wondering."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! It doesn't _need_ noodles. And anyway, you brought out some bread, I'll just use that."

"Okay.. sorry."

"No need to apologize," he gave her nod before settling onto the couch and cautiously taking a bite. Alana followed suit, bringing her spoon up to her lips. She was surprised at the variety of tastes on her tongue. "Oh my god, Will," swallowing, she looked over at him in amazement, "what the hell did you put in this? It's delicious."

"Uh, I.. I just... made soup, I didn't do anything.. _special_... I.. I don't even know how to make soup, I just.. winged it."

"Well, you did a damn good job."

"Thanks.."

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, Will only speaking up once or twice to ask her some things about the case he was working on for Jack, valuing Alana's opinion and insight on the topic.

When they were done and Will had the kitchen cleaned up, he helped her up to her room to get ready for bed, both of them so full that it made them slow and drowsy. It was only 9 o'clock when they crawled into bed, Alana curling up against Will's chest as he wrapped the comforter and sheets around them tightly.

Will was on the edge of sleep many times but kept getting roused by Alana's tossing, the woman unable to get comfortable or breathe out of her nose properly. Eventually she settled down, though, her whole body curled up as tight as it could get, her back pressed to Will's chest. She had the covers up around so high around her that he could only see the top of her head, her dark curls tucked away somewhere under the sheets. With a light kiss to her covered shoulder, Will finally let sleep take him, his body relaxing against the woman's as they began to slumber.

* * *

Alana slept lightly throughout the night, unable to get a sound sleep with her cold. At one point she was laying on her side, facing Will. Her eyes could just barely make out his features in the dark, her insides warming slightly at the sight of his sleeping form. She could get used to being with him like this every night, his presence calming her in ways she hadn't even explored yet, a part of her slightly frightened to begin looking into such things.

Pushing away the thoughts, she curled up into his side, drifting off again as he wrapped an arm around her in his sleep.

* * *

It was 2 pm the next day and there couple were sitting on the couch watching a daytime soap-opera, staring at the screen in shock as the credits rolled by. Alana looked over to him, "I can't believe she did that."

Will nodded, eyes shifting blindly across the room as he took in what had just happened on the program, "Me neither. She was his _sister_."

"I know!"

Turning off the TV, Will angrily tossed the remote to the side, eyebrows scrunched together in frustration.

They sat there in silence for a few seconds before Will asked seemingly out of the blue, "Do you want a massage?"

Alana gave a slight laugh, having not expected the question, "Sure." Laying down on her stomach as Will knelt down on the floor, Alana hugged one of the pillows as she felt his fingers start to rub into her back. "You're going to have to let me make up for all these things you're doing for me..."

"Alana," he chuckled, "I want to do this. You don't owe me anything."

"I still feel bad.."

"Well, don't. You're sick and I want to take care of you."

"Thank you, Will."

Alana felt another set of hands kneading her lower back, Will smiled as he explained, "Molly wants to help."

"Thank you too, Molly."

The three of them sat there quietly, Alana enjoying the attention immensely. She flinched when Will accidentally poked at her side just right, causing him to laugh at her reaction, "A little ticklish?"

"A _lot_ ticklish."

Of course he did it again, grinning as she giggled and curled up, trying to get away from him, "Stop!"

"No," Molly jumped down then, giving Will the room to lean over her and tickle her other side as well. Alana was laughing and squirming underneath of him, desperately attempting to get onto her back, trying to push him away.

"Will!" she was smiling and flailing around, Will easily pinning her to the couch as he attacked her sides. He finally stopped when she seemed to have a hard time catching her breath. "I.. hate you," she panted, giving him one final shove to push him off her lap.

"No you don't," he gave her a kiss on the cheek before standing up. "I'm going to go take a shower, would you like to join me?"

"I think I'm going to just lay down, actually. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Alright." The two of them headed up the stairs hand and hand, Will nudging her side with his elbow, receiving a slight slap in response.

* * *

Alana was already half asleep when Will was done with his shower. He climbed in bed and pulled the blanket up around him, smiling as Alana curled into his chest; he was starting to notice that it seemed to be her favorite spot to lay, and it was his as well. With his arms wrapped around her like they were, it felt like he could protect her from anything bad in the world, a feeling that pleased him to no end.

The woman's lack of sleep from the night before caught up with her quickly, her now-clear airways aiding in her ability to fall asleep. Will wasn't as tired as she was and it took him longer to drift off, his love for her the last thing on his mind.

A dream visited him as he dozed; he looked up to see Alana in a elegant white dress, her hair half pulled up into a beautiful clip, curls bouncing atop her shoulders as she walked towards him. She held a small bouquet of flowers in her slim fingers, tears already shining on her cheeks. He could feel his own heart-strings being tugged on at the sight of her on their wedding day, her glowing skin and more-than-perfect appearance causing an intense emotion to well up in him, one that he had never experienced before, a feeling that would stay with him long after he woke...


End file.
